Inadequacy can be a roadblock to doing the Lord’s will—it can deter us from stepping out in faith to accomplish what God calls us to do. It’s no sin to feel insufficient, but we can transgress by not attempting to overcome that attitude. In contrast, a right response to shortcomings can turn inadequacy to blessing.
Even the apostle Paul felt inadequate, but he didn’t allow his feelings to hold him prisoner and prevent his sharing the gospel. (See 1 Tim. 1:15-16.) Instead, he allowed recognition of his limitations to drive him closer to God. For believers, the correct reaction is more prayer and biblical meditation so that our reliance upon the Lord strengthens. As we shed the burden of relying on our own strength, we become motivated to work in the power of the Holy Spirit.
God’s Spirit enables us to achieve whatever it is we are called to do. The disciples followed Jesus for years, but His final instructions left no doubt concerning their limitations: Go and tell the world about Me after you have received the Spirit’s power (Acts 1:4-8). Jesus’ disciples were inadequate, too.
But our inadequacy enables God to demonstrate the great things He can do with so little. Remember that Moses and David were mere shepherds, and Gideon was least among Israel’s men (Judg. 6:15), yet the Lord accomplished amazing feats through them.
Our inadequacy can turn out to be a blessing by driving us into a stronger relationship with God. We can say with Paul, “I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Cor. 12:9).
Do you ever feel unequal to the task God has set in front of you? At times, all of us struggle with such feelings because certain responsibilities appear to be bigger than one human being is able to accomplish. Problems can develop when we wear inadequacy like a cloak in order to protect ourselves from doing the Lord’s work. We sometimes try to convince ourselves that a task is too great or that God expects too much.
When this is the case, we might be tempted to turn away from some tremendous God-given opportunities. For example, sometimes the Lord provides a situation that is just right for sharing the good news of Christ with a coworker, family member, or acquaintance. But how often do we back off and end up squandering such opportune moments because we’re afraid we won’t know what to say?
Inadequacy grows out of fear—specifically, fear of failure and of not meeting people’s expectations. No matter how unqualified we feel, apprehension is not an acceptable excuse for avoiding responsibility. The truth is, even if a Christian feels incapable of accomplishing some of the awesome tasks God calls him to do, the Holy Spirit is more than adequate! As believers, we do not have to possess perfect qualifications or skills; we need only to be willing.
What have you refused to do for the Lord because you feel inadequate? 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has given us a spirit of power, not one of timidity. All the believer has to do is step out in faith; the Holy Spirit’s strength and courage will be there to meet us.
God’s blessings to us are not meant to end with us. His desire is that they filter down to others. This principle applies in all areas of our life, including our finances. Did you know that our heavenly Father has plans for our money? God’s children generally want to discover what His will is for their life, but so often they fail to consult Him about His desires for their paycheck.
The Lord graciously supplies us with income so we can provide for our needs and even some of our desires. But He also wants us to use our money to achieve His purposes. And one of His goals is that we share our resources with others. If we decide in our heart to participate in His plans, He commits to provide all we need to live and to share.
Just look at His extravagant promise in 2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (emphasis added). This encouraging scripture is a good reminder that sharing blessings with others will never lead to deprivation. In fact, the Lord promises to increase the harvest of our righteousness and enrich us in everything in response to our generosity. We can never outgive God.
A hoarded blessing is never enjoyed as richly as a shared one. Using your gift to meet someone else’s need glorifies the Lord by demonstrating His grace at work in your life. Don’t allow His generous provisions to end with you. Pass them on to others and discover the joy of a never-ending cycle of blessings.
For some of us, guilt is a steady companion. We live under the weight of past mistakes and the fear of future wrongdoing. Even if we try to move forward, self-reproach tags along.
Not all guilty emotions are based in fact, but those that result from breaking biblical or civil law are legitimate: When we transgress, the Holy Spirit points out what is wrong and how to correct it. Then, in response to our confession, God offers us forgiveness and cleansing from guilt every single time (Ps. 32:5).
Where does false guilt originate? There are several answers. For one thing, Satan uses it to harass believers. Through lies and accusations, the enemy seeks to replace inner peace with turmoil, and joy with discouragement.
Another source of guilt is legalism, the judging of conduct according to a precise standard. God’s Word establishes the way we are to live, but some Christians and churches impose additional rules. And failure to follow man-made regulations can produce shame. Childhood experiences can also bring out the negative emotion of guilt. Whether this stems from the aftermath of traumatic events or the feeling that we didn’t meet parental expectations, a memory can prompt us to judge ourselves harshly as adults. Living under severe criticism can have this effect, too, as can perfectionistic tendencies—which tell us we can always “do more” and “do better.”
Legalism, painful childhood experiences, perfectionism, and hurtful comments are fertile soil for guilt. If you struggle with self-condemnation, be sure to check the legitimacy of the source.
Although most of us would love to have the heroic faith of the men and women mentioned in Hebrews 11, few of us are willing to go through the process God uses to develop this kind of trust. We love reading about the great victories and accomplishments of those who relied upon the Lord, but we cringe at the descriptions in verses 36-38. Though none of us want to go through horrible situations, God uses adversity to purify our faith.
Picture the Lord as a master sculptor standing before a block of marble—that slab is you! Envisioning the hidden work of art within the rock, He lovingly and carefully chips away at everything that does not fit the masterpiece He’s creating.
One of the first areas the Lord deals with is your character. His goal is to shape you into the image of His Son, and there are some traits and attitudes that must be chipped away in order for Him to accomplish the task. His chisel lays bare roots of sin and selfishness.
When anything or anyone becomes more important to us than the Lord, we have an idol in our life. To protect us, God sometimes uses adversity to strip away everything we have relied upon so that we will cling only to Him.
The chisel hurts—it sometimes feels as if God is taking away everything we hold dear. Unless you understand His goal and believe He’s working for your good, you’ll think He’s cruel. But if you trust Him and yield to His shaping tool of adversity, your faith will be purified and strengthened through affliction.
